Could a Sleeper service run to Wick?

[Bald Rick]

It is unlkely that the next generation of ultra large container ships will be able to traverse the southern North Sea.

Which means transhipping from Scapa Flow to smaller ships would be a reasonable option.

The only thing constraining container ship sizes is the Suez Canal, which obviously is no longer a restriction if we are going via the Pole, and the cut in container shipping prices of 30+% will stimulate even more demand for larger ships.

That’s nonsense. If the container ships can’t traverse the southern North Sea, then they won’t be able to serve the two largest container ports in Europe (Rotterdam and Antwerp). I’m reasonably sure* that no shipping firm will give up serving these ports on the basis of transhipping nearly 1000 miles away. Neither would ships this size be able to serve Shanghai, the largest in the world. Same applies.

*a very good friend runs a division of a major container company. He knows about these things.